Let me tell you three good reasons why I started a new blog.

If you have been following along, you know that I am an Calgary CIBC Mobile Mortgage Advisor, finding the best mortgage rates and the best product for Albertans every day.  That is all I do.   

1) I want you to know that not having a monthly mortgage payment is a great thing.  Would you rather live car payment free or rent free or mortgage free?   Would you not want your largest monthly expense to be Savings, followed by Food, and Entertainment?   OR would you rather pay huge amounts of interest over the term of your mortgage?

2) If I show you all the tricks to demolish and reduce your mortgage principle as fast as possible would you not want to tell your friends and family about me?   That way I can help other people do the same?

 3) Most importantly, I myself have been through a rough patch, so I know what it feels like to visit the food bank, have things taken away, and afraid of the phone and people coming to the door.  I have held the hands of my clients that have been on the opposite end where foreclosure, overwhelming debt, repossession, and wondering what is the next best step is.  Sadly through the years, some have decided to end their fight against their life's problems and mountains of debt.   This is the fuel.  This is the level of octane that is burning in me right now.     

I am here to help you balance the debt, balance your life, show you all the tricks to pay off your debt as fast as possible.   What do I charge?  What do I want in return?   Two simple things.   Appreciation, and word of mouth of a job well done.    Take my experience, take my passion and share it.  Pass it on.   



A wise man once told me you should live by the three circles philosophy.     The best way to explain it is to draw it, so I drew it out for you.  I don't know where it came from originally, my apologies. That is not the point.  The point is you don't know everything, and the wisdom of age to truly recognize this fact and try to push out the two small circles as much as possible is.  That is what this blog is all about.   This is the foundation to which I am now built.  Its cornerstone of my outlook on life.  Learn something new as often as you can.   I know you know, when you work out a muscle its gets bigger and stronger.  Fact is your brain works the same way.   4 more, 3 more, 2 more, 1 more.   

Now, lets get to your mortgage paid off, and lets pass on the tricks and tips I have learned along the way.

Thanks, and stay tuned for all the great Mortgage Hacks to come.    Truth be told, they span more than just your mortgage.  It draws upon my experience, financial planning, and things that have worked better in the past with respect to your second most valuable commodity.  Your money.

What is the most valuable commodity you might be asking?   Your neural pathways connecting your left and right hemisphere of your brain.

52 words or less, the elevator speech. What do I do.

A friend of mine wanted me to sum up my job and role in a short paragraph.  Just one traditional elevator speech highlighting the features and benefits of being a mortgage broker.  I found this almost impossible without using a single picture, and using a metaphor.

I am licensed and bonded bounty hunter.  I get paid when I find what we are looking for, and you have it all locked up.  My prey?  The perfect mortgage rate, product, and privileges. They are out there sneaking around and it takes a keen tracker and insight into this culture to find them.   

Call/text as we can find you the deal you are looking for!  403-807-8779

Did you fall victim to the old bait and switch trick? How to avoid the initial pitfalls.

The reason for this article is that I do see it all the time in the Mortgage world on many sites advertising the lowest mortgage rates possible, or rates that are not available through any lenders that day.  I called a couple and much to my dismay the rates were not available as it was a limited time only, their website was not updated recently or that rate came off the market today.

This goes to show that the old bait and switch is not limited to the retail world where its most popular and a form of fraud. We do have laws around it, in Canada under the Competition act, in England under the CPFURR, and in the US they sue under the false advertising banner if they don't put limited supply, and don't offer rain checks.   

The questions you may be asking yourself right now is if a bait and switch did happen to you, what was the negative consequences of it, and did I loose any money?  Why is this relevant to my day to day life?

First to identify these scenarios you have to think of yourself as a little fish.  I do love metaphors but this is where the name does come from after all so please indulge me.  There are fisherman on the banks and they want to eat you for dinner, from a hot frying pan with some garlic, Italian spices, and some butter.  They are thinking one thing:  WHAT WILL MAKE YOU BITE.   Rather if you think you are a big fish in the big ocean, you may have seen Finding Nemo where Dory saw the big beautiful light to look at, and started to swim towards it.  Then only realized after that it was attached to a big mouth full of teeth looking for a snack. 

After you are captivated by the :

• Bright lights
• Free Beer
• low flight costs
• low hotel rates
• cheap carpet cleaner, Air Conditions, Security system
• lowest mortgage rate
• cheap  55' OLED with cinema 3D

 You might realize that:

• Bright lights  -  ITS ATTACHED TO A MOUTH that is going to EAT YOU!
• Free Beer - The Fine Print says free A/C and Beer from around the world. 
• low flight costs - There are taxes, fees, other add-ons.
• low hotel rates -  They add on the resort fees.
• cheap carpet cleaner, Air Conditions, Security system- They change the price when they get to your house.
• Lowest mortgage rate - You don't qualify  because its not closing in 30 days, or your credit is not perfect, so they cant use that lender.
• cheap  55' OLED with cinema 3D - you get there and they offer you the more expensive brand with that is not what you wanted.

Grabbing your attention is one thing, as that is what marketing and advertising is all about, but when you see something that is too good to be true, you have to ask yourself:  Is it? 


When I was a boy, we got a scratch card in the mail.  It said we could win a family vacation to Disney Land and all expenses were paid.   I scratched it, and ran around with my arms flailing while screaming, "I WON, I WON, DISNEY LAND, DISNEY LAND!!!! HERE I COME!!!!"  I could not have been happier as I wanted to go see the huge castle and have the time of my life.     When my Dad got home from work he looked at the card, saw my face, and tried to tell me we did not win, sorry.  Then he threw it in the garbage.   I almost cried and ran to the garbage to double check.  My father tried to stop me, but I was RELENTLESS! I got to that garbage after wearing him out.  He eventually conceded that we had won, he wanted to teach me a lesson about advertising.

He foretold me what was about to happen.  They would come to the house, sell us the vacuum cleaner after a high pressure sales pitch and for some reason we would not get the trip.    Two days later they were in the house, and showing us how great their vacuum was.  Dad was a smart and new from the beggining that he was not buying so every sales trick which had me excited about the vacuum he showed him up.  The sales person left and said, get in touch with our head office for the trip, and when we tried it was not possible.  Maybe I cried myself to sleep that night, I was 8 years old afterall.

When you spot something that is too good to be true, and you explore that option.  Just be ready to run, as it wont hurt at that point just to check and see what else is available.   If they used the bait and switch they might try to stick you with a product that is counter productive to your goals.  

In the case of a mortgage broker, make sure you trust and have open communication with them. If you have questions, call or text me, my team or myself are always around to help.

When is the last time you had a annual reality check for your Mortgage?

I have talked to many over the years as a Alberta Mortgage Broker, and most tend to think of their mortgage as the ultimate “buy and hold” purchase. After all, who wants to spend any more time in the “borrower” chair than is absolutely necessary? You get a 5-yearterm, and then go on automatic pilot until it comes due again. You might wring your hands over your other finances, but your mortgage is set in stone, right?

Well, not exactly. In fact, it’s a great idea to have an annual mortgage review to see if it’s really working for you – especially in the context of the rest of your financial picture.  After all, a lot can happen in a year – especially during our “mortgage years”, when we tend to be juggling many commitments in our busy lives! Think of all the financial commitments we carry during these years: care of our children, tuition or school expenses, one or more cars, vacations, home renovations, travel… the list seems to go on and on.

Chances are that something in your financial life has changed since you took out your mortgage. Life doesn’t stand still, after all. Here is a list of the most common reasons why a mortgage may need some adjustment:

• You’re considering a move to a new home in the next year or two;
• You wonder if you can tap into some of your equity for a special renovation project to upgrade your home;
•  You’re wondering if you can afford a vacation property;
•   You’re considering the benefits of investment property ownership;
• You’re a bit concerned about a large expense looming in your future:  like university tuition, a wedding, a leave from work, a new career or business, a big vacation or a new vehicle, for example;
•  You’re making more money – or less money – than you were when you began your mortgage;
•  You’re carrying some credit card or other high-interest debt that is eating away at your monthly cashflow;
• You’re worried that you’re not saving enough for your retirement years, and you’ve heard there’s a way to convert your non-deductible mortgage debt into deductible investment loans using a re-advanceable mortgage.  You’re interested in collecting annual tax refunds, paying off your mortgage faster, and having an investment portfolio for the future.

If any of these sound familiar to you – and if you have held your mortgage for a year or more – then it’s worthwhile to contact a qualified mortgage planner to give your mortgage a reality check.

At Mortgage Architects, the company’s mortgage planners provide this service free of charge and with no obligation.  They tailor each mortgage to their client’s current needs and long-term goals, with an overall focus on mortgage planning, Alberta Mortgage Planners believe that a mortgage is not just a single transaction done in isolation of your goals and overall financial situation, but that a mortgage can accomplish so much more when property structured and integrated into your overall financial plan.

Calgary Mortgage Planners look at the mortgage as a financial keystone - the right mortgage can build your wealth, protect you from a financial downturn, and save you thousands of dollars. That’s why an annual mortgage review is part of their overall service offering.  It’s also a smart financial move for Canadian homeowners.  

Need a mortgage document checklist?

You are about to contact your lender or Alberta Mortgage Broker, and want to get some paper work ready.  Well this is what you might need.

You should get a nice little check list when you get the process started, but this will help you get things in order or at least give you some expectations around what you might need to dig out of the filing cabinet for this mortgage.  Of course every case is different, so if it does not apply to you don’t worry about it.  

• Proof of a minimum 3 year Employment History (Minimum 3 months at current job PLUS previous employment details, employment letter stating not on probation, last two pay stubs,

• Address of where you have lived for the last 3 years.

• Verification of Assets such as RRSP’s, vehicles, quads, trailers, or other property that you

• List of Liabilities and personal loans and the monthly payments for them

 

• Proof of your Down Payment for the home you are purchasing, including a 90 day history of those funds

• A signed Gift Letter if the funds you are using for the down payment are being gifted to you for your purchase.  Be mindful that most lenders have their own letters you might have to get signed.

• A Void Cheque for where your payments will be taken from

• A copy of the Purchase and Sale Agreement

• Your most recent Property Tax Assessment to prove there are no property taxes owing in your name

• MLS Listing of the property you are buying

• Statement of Existing Mortgage if you are paying it out to refinance, etc.

• The name and contact information for your Lawyer

• Separation or Divorce Documents if applicable

• Court Orders pertaining to child or spousal support payments, and 3 months of account statements to verify the payments are being paid and up to date

• Your most recent Notice of Assessment to prove there are no taxes owing in your name

• Bankruptcy Discharge Papers, if applicable

If the list seems over whelming, just take it one step at a time, as being a lender, or a Calgary Mortgage Broker its all about getting everything in order to paint the best possible picture we can.  We are trying to show stability, ability to pay back the loan, and that you have the character to pay it back.   If you have questions on your mortgage, pick up the phone and call or text  403-807-8779